


I'm Not Gonna Let Them Hurt You

by maridel_organa_hardeen



Series: Loki Reader Inserts [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Asgard, Avengers Tower, Beating, Bifrost, Big Brother Thor (Marvel), Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Torture, Boys in Chains, Broken Bones, Bruce is not that kind of doctor, But you can't really blame him, Caretaker reader, Chains, Clint has a grudge, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fear, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Handcuffs, He's gonna hurt so much in the next few chapters., Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I recognize cannon but given that it's stupid-ass cannon I've elected to ignore it, I thrive on validation, Injury Recovery, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) is a Good Bro, Literally just Poor Loki, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Has Issues, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki Gets a Hug (Marvel), Loki Whump, Loki recovering, Medication, Mental Instability, Minor Frigga/Odin (Marvel), Minor Jane Foster/Thor, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Nightmares, Odin is a dick, Odin's A+ Parenting (Marvel), Odin's Bad Parenting (Marvel), Of even his brother, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poor Loki (Marvel), Post-The Bifrost Incident, Psychological Torture, Reader-Insert, Recovery, Rescue, Send em my way, So if you have some spare kudos, Sorry Not Sorry, The Tesseract (Marvel), Thor is Not Stupid (Marvel), Thor is a Good Bro (Marvel), Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Torture, Trauma, Whipping, Whump, Wrongful Imprisonment, loki is scared, you'll find out why
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:28:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29861565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maridel_organa_hardeen/pseuds/maridel_organa_hardeen
Summary: "In retrospect, I should have been suspicious. No Asgardian snake has emerald eyes like that one did." Thor shook his head in memory."Why would green eyes mean it was Loki?" you asked blithely."He has the greenest eyes in the nine realms.” He shrugged, as if that were common knowledge."His eyes are blue." You spoke definitively, hoping Thor wouldn't ask how you knew. You didn't feel like explaining that you'd spent much more time than necessary looking over his photographs in the various files."What do you mean? My brother’s eyes are green."You shrugged."Here, I'll show you." You swiped through the StarkPad till you found one taken closely enough to demonstrate the god's eye color. “See? Blue.”“That isn’t right,” Thor bent over it to study the photo more closely. “I do not know what happened here, but that is not right.”Or, when you notice a discrepancy in eye color, you and Thor rescue Loki and do your best to heal him.As per usual, bad at summaries, decent at writing.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Series: Loki Reader Inserts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2194635
Comments: 77
Kudos: 160





	1. Preface: Greenest in the Nine Realms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome! I hope you enjoy this preface to my first longer fic. This story has existed in my head for a long time now, and I thought it might be nice to actually write it down. There will be angst, hurt/comfort, whump, all of the good things. I do not have an uploading schedule or a beta reader, but I should post fairly regularly. Feel free to comment and yell at me if I fall behind.

“Still hard at work, I see.” Thor stepped off the elevator and into the common room.

Looking up from the StarkPad in your lap, you smiled at him and nodded. 

“Yep. I keep thinking I’ve gone over everything, and then Tony or Nat pulls out something new.” 

As the newest addition to the team, you’d decided to go over all records pertaining to the team: files and backgrounds on each of the others, histories of SHIELD and its founders, lists of possible threats, and past missions. There was more material than you’d expected, but there were hardly any missions at present, so you had more than enough time to spend looking over it. Right now, you were still working on all the information about the Battle of New York.

Swiping to the next entry in the file, you carefully studied a security shot of Loki in Germany. He really was something. After all the reading you’d done, you couldn’t help but feel that there was something off about the whole thing. From what you knew about him from your childhood mythology obsession, and what Thor had told you, the attack seemed out of character. Oh, well. You didn't pretend to understand the inner workings of his mind.

Thor sat down beside you and looked over your shoulder.

"You are going over the information on Loki?" 

You nodded cautiously. You knew his brother's actions were a sensitive topic for him, and you didn't want to press him into discussing them.

"We used to have fun. We were the best of friends as children."

Evidently he wanted to talk about him.

"I'll bet you did."

"Did I ever tell you about the time he turned into a snake and stabbed me?"

"No," you answered curiously, laying the device aside.

"Well, you see, father had chosen me over him for some official event or other, and he was angry. I see now that he picked me too often." He paused sadly for a moment. "Anyway, Loki was angry. He turned himself into a snake, and layed on my favorite path in the gardens. I love snakes, and I picked it up, just as he knew I would, and then he turned back into himself, yelled 'Mblergh It's me!' and stabbed me." Thor was laughing by this time, and even though you were a bit concerned at the carelessness with which he treated being stabbed, you couldn't help but laugh too. 

"In retrospect, I should have been suspicious. No Asgardian snake has emerald eyes like that one did." Thor shook his head in memory.

"Why would green eyes mean it was Loki?" you asked blithely.

"He has the greenest eyes in the nine realms.” He shrugged, as if that were common knowledge.

"His eyes are blue." You spoke definitively, hoping Thor wouldn't ask how you knew. You didn't feel like explaining that you'd spent much more time than necessary looking over his photographs in the various files. 

"What do you mean? My brother’s eyes are green."

You shrugged.

"Here, I'll show you." You swiped through the StarkPad till you found one taken closely enough to demonstrate the god's eye color. “See? Blue.”

“That isn’t right,” Thor bent over it to study the photo more closely. “I do not know what happened here, but that is not right.”

“Well…” You figured that Thor knew what color his brother’s eyes were after a thousand years. “Couldn’t he just have changed them for some reason? He can do that right?”

“Loki never does anything without a purpose. No matter how inconsequential it may seem at the time, he always has a reason.” 

“Ok, so, what significance do blue eyes have on Asgard? Do they denote a king or something? I can’t remember anything in particular.”

“Nearly half of the population has them,” he said. “Do they mean something here?”

“No. Blue eyes. Blue eyes?” you muttered, leaning back in your seat and studying the ceiling. “Could they have something to do with the Chitauri?”

“Or the scepter?” he mused.

“ _Thor_ !” You jerked forward and grabbed his arm tightly. “The _scepter_!”

He looked at you blankly.

“Thor, blue eyes and the invasion! Don’t you remember what happened to Clint?” You reached for the tablet and pressed a few buttons to reveal a photo of Clint. “They’re even the same shade. Which means that Loki could have been under the influence of the scepter,” you prompted.

“Which means that he did not do these things of his own free will!”

“Which means that he could be innocent,” you finished triumphantly. 

“We must go to Asgard!” He leapt to his feet, pulling you with him, and was about to reach for Mjolnir when you stopped him.

“We must go to the library. I know enough Norse mythology to know that we cannot go before the Allfather with nothing but two photographs and wishful thinking, and expect him to simply let Loki go. We need proof, solid evidence before we can petition Odin to release him.”

“Very well. To the library, then.”

As you got in the elevator, Thor turned to you, a perplexed look spreading across his features.

“Why would you care for my brother? Why would you want to help him?”

“I- I um,” you faltered, searching for a better explanation than the truth. “No innocent person should be punished. I don’t care what he did. If he was under the control of someone else, they are the ones to blame for the destruction.”

Fortunately, Thor seemed satisfied with the information. By the time the elevator reached the proper floor, he had another question.

“Wait. My brother is clever. What if his purpose in changing his eyes to this shade is to cause us to think that he was under the influence of the scepter and set him free, when in reality he only plans to cause more destruction?”

“I don’t think so.” You tugged him over to a table and sat down next to him. Quickly going through your StarkPad, you found what you were looking for. “This is the footage they were able to recover from the SHIELD cloud from Loki’s arrival.” You held it out to him and let him watch. “I’m gonna assume your brother isn’t typically as white as a sheet and struggling to stay on his feet?”

Thor shook his head.

"I think he was tortured." A pang stabbed you as you saw Thor's face fall. " I think someone tortured him, and when he wouldn't do what they asked, they used the scepter to make him."

"How do we prove this?"

"I'll need your help. First, we need to document any problems Loki seems to be having in this footage that could point to him being abused, and exactly what could have caused it. Second, and we'll get Jarvis to help us out with this, we're gonna go through every record of him speaking and look for references to someone controlling him. He's smart, I think he would leave us some clues if he could. We'll put down anything else that could be important, too. I'll also need you to tell me about what happened before he fell off of the Bifrost. I think if we get all of that together, we'll have a chance."

"Let's get to work, then."

*-*-*-*-*-*

“There you are.” A few hours later, Tony stepped off the elevator to find you and Thor in the middle of the room, surrounded by Jarvis’ projections, all of which seemed to have something to do with Loki. “What the hell’s going on?”

“Hush!” You waved an arm in Tony's direction and scribbled something in a notebook. “J, can you add that to what we’ve got so far?”

“Certainly.”

“This is all very promising, is it not?” Thor asked, rifling through papers.

You bit back a smile.

“Yeah. This proves it.”

“Excuse me, I’m here.” Tony stepped over a paper plate and the remnants of a sandwich to stand next to you. “What exactly are you doing?”

“Proving the innocence of one Loki Odinson. Hey, Jarvis? We’ve got what we need. Can you print that out for me, nice and neat? Make it official-looking?”

“Of course.”

“You’re what?” Tony’s face was getting red. 

“Proving that Thor’s brother is innocent of the attack on New York.”

Several printers whirred to life nearby, shucking out stacks of paper. Thor headed over to them.

“Hey, make sure your hands are clean. I don’t want to give the Allfather sticky evidence. Tony, I know this is all sudden, but Jarvis can explain it to you when we’re gone. Thor, you ready?”

“Ready.”

“Wait, are you going somewhere?”

“We’re going to Asgard to show Odin what we have here and convince him that Loki is innocent.”

“Before we leave, you should probably change into something more formal,” Thor suggested.

You looked down at your current attire of shorts and a stained Star Wars t-shirt and quickly agreed.

“Can you get the rest of that ready?”

“I think so.”

“Then I’ll go find something a bit more worthy of the court of Asgard.” You let out a giggle. “Can you imagine? I’m going to Asgard.” Shaking your head, you called the elevator and headed back up to your room.

You really were going to Asgard. As a child, you’d spent hours reading and dreaming about what it might be like there, about what fun you could have if you could somehow find a way to call Heimdall to send the Bifrost for you. And now, here you were, trying to figure out what dress to wear to an audience with Odin. Eventually, you settled on a dark green, flowy affair to show your support for Loki. Adding a gold necklace, understated makeup, and sweeping your hair back into a soft braid, you decided you looked good enough to pass, especially for a Midgardian. 

After silently debating whether or not you should take a weapon, you slipped a dagger into the pocket Nat had helped you incorporate into the dress. Given your training, you could take care of yourself in nearly any situation, but you still preferred to have something with you.

You got back in the elevator and asked Jarvis to take you to the roof. Tony had built a sort of landing pad up there for Thor, so he wouldn’t fry the grass every time he went back and forth between realms. He was already waiting for you in his Asgardian armor.

“You look lovely.”

“Thanks.” You smiled at him and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “You’ve got everything?”

He held out a box tied neatly with a ribbon.

“Then let’s go.”

Thor wrapped his arm tightly around your waist and tucked you against his side. 

“Hold on. Heimdall!”

And you shot away in a blinding flash of light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos make Loki smile, and he's gonna need all the smiles he can get in the next few chapters.  
> Thank you so Keyrani for encouraging me to write a longer fic. I hope you like it!  
> I am notoriously terrible at naming things, so if you have any alternative title idea, comment them!  
> Thank you so, so much for reading.


	2. Chapter 1: Asgard and Allfather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you present your evidence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter up! Look at me. I hope you enjoy! Loki comes in next chapter, and I can hardly wait.  
> I'm trying to do minimal descriptions of the reader, so you can come up with your own backstory for this character, but I'm not planning on giving her any 'powers'. I did come up with the name 'The Dark Rose' the other day, and thought it would be perfect. If you feel like sharing, I would love to hear any backstories you come up with in the comments.  
> I am also still up for alternate titles for this work.

The next thing you knew, you were kneeling on the ground, feeling queasy. That journey was decidedly not as much fun as you’d imagined. Someone called your name. Opening your eyes and rising to your feet, you found yourself standing in front of a tall, powerfully built man with the most striking golden eyes you'd ever seen.

"Heimdall?" 

“It is good to see you, daughter."

"Heimdall?" you repeated, incredulous. Quickly coming to your senses, you dropped your best attempt at a curtsey. 

"None of that, now. I am no king." He ran his fingers under your jaw, listing your gaze to level with his. "It has been a long time since you called for me." A twinkle flashed in his magnificent eyes.

"You heard me?" Disbelief washed over your face.

"I see all, and I hear all, daughter. Do you not remember?" He chuckled kindly. "I would have opened the Bifrost for you each and every time, but I am afraid it would have been even more dangerous for you here than at your home. I am sorry that I could not help you then, but I am glad to see you here now."

You felt a blush rise high on your cheeks, and you smiled.

"Thank you. I'm so happy to meet you. I'm so- I'm so glad you're real." You felt a tear sparkling in one eye. Calling for Heimdall had been your comfort in your darkest hours as a child, and there had been plenty of those. After a few years, you stopped saying it aloud, instead simply whispering your plea into your tear-wet pillow at night when you'd woken from a night terror, or just thinking it in the back of your mind. Then you gave up altogether.

Yet here he was. He had heard every one of your cries for help, and he cared. He really cared.

He held out his arms to you and you nearly fell into his embrace

"I am so very proud of you."

"Thank you," you whispered.

After a minute or so, you stepped back and smiled your thanks.

"I am always here, daughter. Call for me, and I will answer."

"I will."

"I do not wish to interrupt, but it is time to find my father and present him with our evidence," Thor interjected.

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Heimdall." You gazed into his eyes earnestly.

"You are always welcome, daughter."

Thor took your hand and led you out of the Bifrost, and you couldn’t contain your gasp. There before you lay Asgard in all its splendor. Before you could really take in the landscape in front of you, he was tucking you securely against his side, reaching for Mijolnir.

"Wait!" You turned in his grip. "Hold on?"

"Is something the matter?"

"No, it's just that, well, there's no way I'll ever get to come back here, and I don't want to, I mean- could we walk?"

"Of course. I do not think a few more minutes will do my brother any great harm." He relinquished his grip on your waist and took your hand instead. The two of you walked side-by-side across the bridge.

You could barely contain your excitement. You really were in Asgard. Not only in Asgard, but you had just finished getting a hug from Heimdall. You were walking down the rainbow bridge to the city, hand in hand with Thor, the god of thunder. Suddenly you felt a bit awed by even him. Somehow, it was easy to forget who he was back at the tower, when you were all just hanging around in faded t-shirts and sweatpants, but here it was different. 

Trying to take in everything, you took careful note of all your surroundings. The scent of clean mountain air, tinged with something spicy you couldn't quite identify. The click of your heels against the bridge. The slight hum of the bridge itself, almost pulsing with energy beneath your feet as streaks of color shot through the translucent crystal. The magnificent palace, slim golden towers framed by tall, rugged mountain peaks. Would you could file every bit of this memory away, to be looked at whenever you liked. 

You had a sudden burst of regret that you hadn’t brought your phone to take some pictures, but it almost felt as if this place was so magical that the photos would all be blurry, or maybe your phone would melt. It was better to just enjoy the moment, anyway. You were jerked out of your reverie by Thor’s voice.

“Hm? What was that?”

"I am surprised by Heimdall's display of emotion. I remember him hugging me exactly once." he looked at you curiously.

You shrugged and smoothed your hair into place. 

"I'm surprised too. I used to call for him a lot when I was a child, because I was miserable, but I never thought he heard me or cared. I guess he did. It’s nice to know all of this is real.”

“It is very real.”

When you reached the end of the bridge, Thor paused for a moment and bent to pick up something, pressing it into your palm and securely closing your hand around it.

“Here.” He smiled kindly. “Your own little piece of Asgard.”

Opening your hand, you saw that he had given you a chipped piece of crystal. A piece of the Bifrost, no larger than a pebble. When you held it out, it caught the light and projected rainbows onto the fabric of your dress.

“Oh, Thor,” you breathed. “Are you sure I can have this?”

“Of course. It is nothing particularly special here. When we rebuilt the Bifrost, the ruined pieces were simply scattered.”

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.” You carefully slipped it into a pocket. The two of you continued towards the golden gates of the palace. When you reached them, a pair of heavily armed guards drug them open, revealing a neatly landscaped courtyard. 

“This way.” Thor led you across it, through a few more doors and hallways, and suddenly, there before you were two huge golden doors, somehow even more imposing than the gates you had stepped through just a minute before. They swung heavily open, and there before you lay the great hall, Odin’s throne at the opposite end.

"My son." Odin's voice echoed through the enormous space. You felt your stomach drop a few inches, but you swallowed hard and kept up with Thor as he strode towards his father.

"Father." Thor kneeled before the throne, and you followed suit, somehow managing not to fall flat on your back.

"Rise, my son, rise. Who is this?" He gestured to you in a disinterested fashion. "Is this the Jane we hear so much about?"

"Oh! Oh, no." He quickly introduced you, reiterating that you were a friend and co-worker and nothing more. "She is better known on Midgard as the Dark Rose."

Your dipped your head again in deference.

"This is a great honor, Allfather."

He nodded again and motioned for you to stand.

"A fitting name for so pretty a girl. What brings you here?"

"I bring you proof of your youngest son's innocence of the attack on Midgard." You took the box of papers from Thor, and held it out to Odin, who took it with poorly-concealed distaste. "Given the evidence, I have come to the conclusion that Loki came into contact with a powerful being of some sort when he fell from the Bifrost, and was tortured and manipulated by this being. He did not give in to the being's demands in spite of the torture, and was, therefore, eventually put under its control through the powers of the scepter he carried with him to Midgard, and by no fault of his own." You took a deep breath and were about to continue with your speech, when Odin laid the box side with a bored expression.

"I care not why he did it. Whether by his own design, or because he was too weak to withstand the supposed torture, he is a disgrace to the house of Odin." He continued looking at you placidly. "I see no reason why I should release him, only for him to wreak more havoc on the nine realms."

"But, father!" Thor cried, confusion clouding his face. "He is innocent!"

You felt fire ignite in your veins.

"Save your breath. He doesn't care." You advanced towards the throne, and if your field of vision hadn't been clouded by your anger, you might've seen the Allfather himself shrink back a bit at the sight of you. "You bear some other grudge against Loki. This incident simply gives you the excuse you need to keep him locked away and tormented. What a wonderful father you are," you spat, narrowing your eyes in a glare that could have melted steel. "Unfortunately for you, this rose has thorns. You can't keep him locked away on a trumped up charge, Thor and I will see to that. I have a feeling that once Frigga knows about this, she won't stand for it." You were very close now, and suddenly, you felt Thor's calming grip on your arm. 

"Come on. We'll go get Loki and take him to mother." You nodded and back away, not lowering your withering gaze from Odin.

"Wait.” Thor turned back to look at his father. “You won't find him in that cell. He is in the North Wing."

You glanced Thor as every drop of blood drained from his face.

"No. No!" His face convulsed in pain. "We have to go. Now." And he ran from the hall, your arm still in his grip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Comments and Kudos make Loki smile, and trust the author, he's gonna need it in the next chapter.  
> I makes me so happy to know that people enjoy my writing. Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 2:The North WIng

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the two of you find Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came really fast. I hope you enjoy it!

Speed was not one of your strengths. You were fast, yes, and you were well known for your unpredictable, quick fighting style. But when it came to sprinting long distances for an extended period of time, you were one of the first to collapse, panting, and watch Steve and a few of the other, tougher team members continue to make laps. Now, you were regretting not sticking it out and working on your endurance.

You clutched Thor's arm tightly, your hand aching and draining white under the strain. Careening behind him as he ran, you were barely keeping up. Up corridors, down stairs, through wide rooms full of people and narrow, dusty ones that looked at if they hadn't been entered in centuries. Once or twice, you almost slammed into a maid, and you were certain that you'd crushed some noble lady's foot during a pass through a courtyard.

Whatever this 'North Wing' was, it had to be a terrible place to garner this reaction from Thor. The few glimpses you'd caught of his face in this mad dash through the palace had you deeply worried. His brow was pinched and pale, and he looked almost sick. And you were sure he'd never run like this before. Loki must be in real trouble.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, stabbing pain in your side. Great. You were running through stone corridors in a flowing dress to save the life of an innocent and tortured prince out of your childhood fairytale, and you had a goddamn stitch. Just when you thought everything was going well. Groaning, you pressed your free arm to your side, trying to relieve the sensation, but simultaneously doing that and keeping up with your companion proved to be impossible. You sucked in your breath harshly.

By this time, it seemed you had sprinted through an infinite number of rooms and staircases and passageways. You were underground, now, and out of the corner of your eye you could see bright, white prison cells surrounded by shimmering forcefields as you flew by. When you glanced inside one and saw a tall, proud man with dark hair and an angular face, you cried out and hauled at Thor's arm.

"Wait! He's right there!" You gasped out, clasping your hand to your burning side.

Thor paused long enough to shoot you an anguished look.

"It's not him."

As you were whisked away, you watched the figure raise a hand as if in salute, and disappear in a glittery haze. What on earth? Or, rather, what on Asgard? That couldn’t be good.

Still you ran on. You could feel yourself losing elevation with every bound, and it seemed you were heading in a different direction then you had originally. Your surroundings began to change, too. In contrast to the spotless white cells you'd been passing minutes earlier, the ones you now saw seemed much older: dark and dank and dingy. These must be the remnants of Odin's reign of terror, millennia before. Most were uninhabited, save the rats and other vermin you heard scurrying away from your pounding footsteps. Could this be the North Wing? Surely even Odin wouldn't leave Loki to languish down here.

Then you heard the screams.

Faintly at first, then echoing louder and louder through empty passageways. Terrified, pained screams, they became piercingly loud as you drew near to their source. Thor was panting with worry and exertion, and between the pain in your side from running, and in your heart from the pitiful cries, you were having trouble breathing. 

You rounded a final corner, and there he was.

“ _ NO! _ ” Thor bellowed, wading into the chamber and scattering the guards, dispatching a particularly stubborn one with Mijolnir in his rage. You were quick behind him, dagger in hand.

“Oh, my god.Oh,  _ shit. _ ” At your first sight of Loki, you bent double and vomited into a corner. 

The man that stood bleeding and whimpering and gasping for breath in the middle of that dark room was a shadow of the proud conqueror who had journeyed to Midgard a year before. His hands and neck were chained to the ceiling high above his head, and his back was torn open and gushing blood. Numerous bruises, burns and cuts peppered hus emaciated frame.

“Brother!” Now Thor was rushing to him, and you were about to call to him not to rush at his brother like that, when Loki shrank back from him with a weak hiss and began muttering pleas in a rough, ragged voice.

“Brother, it is I! You have no need for fear.” He quickly reached out for the collar. Loki screamed, horror painting his features.

“Thor  _ stop _ ,” you commanded in a low tone. “You’re only scaring him. Back away from him.” He complied, standing against the wall and focusing on not weeping at the sight of his brother. Laying your dagger carefully on the floor, you slowly stepped toward Loki, your hands fully in his view. He eyed you warily, like an injured animal with no way to fight and nowhere to flee. 

“Hey, Loki. I know you don’t know me, but I want to help you. We need to get you down from there and take you somewhere safe.” You weren’t sure what you could say to get him to trust you. To be fair, you had no reason to want to help him. He wasn't screaming, though, so that was good. “I need to touch you so I can get you out of those chains. Is that ok?” You waited several minutes, but he only looked at you and gasped for frightened breath. The restraints barely gave him slack enough to stand on two feet, and he wasn't getting enough air.

“Loki, we have to get you out of here. I don’t want to hurt you, and I’m not going to hurt you, but I need to get you down.” You took another few steps towards him, and he started to shake. “It’s alright, now. All I’m going to do is open these, ok? Nothing else.” You started with his neck, unfastening the collar and sliding it off, sucking in your breath at the raw skin underneath. He flinched violently at your touch, and the chains above rattled and clanged at the movement. 

“It’s alright,” you soothed, pulling away quickly and dropping the collar to the floor. Next came his hands, but try as you might, you couldn’t reach them, even on your toes. “Loki, I can’t reach your hands, so Thor’s gonna have to do it. He’s your brother, and he’s not gonna hurt you either.” 

He didn’t give you much of a response, so you motioned for Thor to come closer. 

“Slowly, Thor. Stay where he can see you.”

It wasn’t easy for Thor to do anything slowly, especially not when his brother was chained and crying and bleeding and not even really talking, but he managed it somehow. He reached up and opened the cuffs, causing Loki to stumble, then fall. 

“Watch it!” Fortunately, you caught him before he hit the ground, easing him to the floor and doing your best not to touch his flayed back, or really any other part of him, for that matter. The moment you laid hands on him, he scrambled away from you on his hands and knees, curling up in a corner and hiding his face.

“Thor, we have to take him back with us. We can’t leave him here, even with your mother on our side.”

“I know. But he doesn’t trust me.”

“He doesn’t trust anyone right now. That’s not your fault.” You rubbed his shoulder. “But we have to get him out of here now. I have a feeling your father isn’t going to take too kindly to us absconding with him.”

“You will go with him, and I will come later,” Thor said, a strange catch coming into his voice.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, then.” You stepped towards Loki’s corner and crouched down in front of him, trying your best to stay as non-threatening as possible. “Hey, Loki? We need to get out of here. We’re gonna take you somewhere safe. Can you grab onto me? I know you’re hurting, but you can lean on me and walk a little ways.”

He shook his head and murmured something.

“What was that?”

“Nowhere is safe,” he croaked, a shudder running through him.

"It'll be saf _ er _ , then. Please, Loki. I don't want Odin to ever get near you again, and if we're gonna keep him away from you, we have to get out of here. Please. Try to trust me, at least a little bit. I'm not gonna hurt you." You held out your hand, palm up. "Just take my hand. I'll help you."

You waited patiently, but he simply sat there, trembling in his corner. It was clearly 'his', for there were layered, dark blood stains all over the walls and the floor, where he'd crawled there after each of the guards' visits.

"Ok, Loki. We're gonna get you out one way or another. Would you rather me or Thor carry you?"

He shook his head and whined at the mention of his brother's name, and sank farther back into his refuge. A pang of guilt hit you, and you hoped that your friend wasn't taking Loki's actions too seriously.

"Alright. I'm going to lift you up, and I need you to grab onto me, ok? I'll be really careful with you, but if something hurts, tell me." You smiled gently, then thought of something. "You can tell me if something hurts. I won't be upset." You reached forward for him, and somehow managed to gather him up in your arms. With a sickening jolt, you realized that you could lift him. When was the last time he'd had something to eat?

He leaned his head limply against your shoulder as you stood up, whimpering quietly.

"Ok. Thor, let's go." 

The journey back to the surface went more quickly than it had the first time. There were fewer panicked wrong turns, and more actual thinking about where you were going. The three of you emerged back in the palace, at the end of a dusty passageway that Thor had explained was a seldom-used entrance. 

"Do you remember how to get to the Bifrost from here?" 

You quickly nodded, and leaned into the hand he pressed against your neck, a peculiarly Asgardian gesture.

"Then, until we meet again, my friend. Please, take good care of him until I can return."

"I will, don't worry. Be careful," you admonished, shifting your grip on his brother and hurrying off in the opposite direction.

You wanted to run, you wanted Loki safe, you wanted to be safe at home on planet earth, away from insane sadistic gods and opulent gold palaces founded on top of torture chambers. But even if you had any strength left in your body, running would have meant jostling Loki, and you were going to do everything in your power to keep him comfortable and safe from now on. You weren't quite sure how you were still standing, much less carrying him, but you chalked it up to adrenaline. 

Finally, you reached the golden gates and passed through them. The Bifrost was in sight, and Heimdall, and home, and you quickened your pace. Then you heard shouts ring out behind you. An anxious glance over your shoulder revealed ten or twenty of the palace guard. 

So much for not running.

Feet pounding the ground, you just made it to the edge of the bridge when you slipped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next several chapters will be very whump, angst, and hurt/comfort heavy. If you'd like to leave your favorite tropes in the comments, I'd be more than happy to try to incorporate them.   
> I'm sorry about the cliffhanger, but it's good for both of us in the long run, since it means I'm motivated to write more, and you want to come back and see what happens!  
> I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next chapter, my dears!


	4. Chapter 3: Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is like 200 words, but I felt like it needed to be its own chapter. The next one will be much longer, promise! I think the story runs better sectioned like this.

You crashed to the ground, Loki still tightly in your grip. The fall knocked the breath out of you, and you went sliding across the bridge, fighting for traction. There was none to be had. Loki had caught sight of your pursuers, and was starting to hyperventilate. You couldn’t console him, and you couldn’t stop sliding, and at this rate you were going to fall off the bridge and back into the void. You clawed at the crystal and cursed the Asgardians for making their bridge out of this ridiculously slippery material. You just couldn’t stop. You pulled Loki closer, trying to keep him close, at least, but your hands were slick with his blood, and you were losing your grip on him too.  
You were coming close to the edge, and you’d nearly given up hope of making it home, when you felt strong arms around your shoulders, pulling you back from the brink. You looked up and were met with two golden eyes.  
“Hurry, daughter.” Heimdall lifted you to your feet, placing a steadying grip on your arm and running down the rest of the bridge with you and your charge in tow. After pressing you gently through the door of the Bifrost, he quickly slammed the sword into its slot, sending you and Loki off in a blast of white light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, and requests for yours to be included are welcome! And comments/critiques make me ridiculously happy.


	5. Chapter 4: Back at the Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you arrive back at the tower, Clint causes trouble, and Tony is sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter! I hope y'all like it, and more will come soon.

When you opened your eyes, you were kneeling on the roof of the Tower, Loki clutched tightly in your lap. You bent to check on him and found that he was passed out cold. The combination of the pain, the sight of his tormentors, and the journey through the Bifrost must have been too much for him. Groaning, you drug yourself to your feet, almost toppling over when you found that one of your heels was gone. You must have broken it when you fell.

You steadied yourself and hobbled towards the door that led inside. You had to get Loki to the infirmary. As you pushed open the door, you heard several concerned gasps.

"Oh, my God! What the hell happened?" Natasha rushed towards you, confusion and worry painting her face.

You glanced down at yourself, realizing just how bad you looked. You were wobbling on scuffed black leather pumps, one missing a heel, and your once-pristine dress was tattered and soaked in blood. Your hair was disheveled, your makeup smeared, and your expression exhausted and shaken. And, most disturbing of all to the other occupants of the room, you cradled an unconscious, bloody, emaciated figure in your shaking arms. A figure with dark, matted hair and gaunt, bruised skin. A figure that was clearly Loki.

Natasha came next to you and cupped your cheek in her palm. She was about to say something else when Clint loomed up in front of you, anger contorting his features.

"Why is he here?" he demanded, his tone hard.

"Clint, get out of my way. I have to get him to the infirmary." 

"No. He's not coming any farther into this building. This is an act!" His voice rose.

"You think this is an act? You think this is an act? You didn't see what I saw. Get out of my way," you snarled. You moved to get past him, but he took a side step and blocked your path.

"This bastard's gonna pay for what he did. He made a mistake coming back here. You hear me?" He began to yell, bending down to Loki's level. " You made a damn big mistake! And I'm gonna make you pay!"

The volume brought Loki back to consciousness with a frightened gasp. He squirmed in your grasp, muttering to himself and trying to get as far away from Clint as possible.

“N-no, no, please, I’ll- I’ll be good- W-won’t, won’t struggle.” He was getting hysterical again, trembling and begging for, what, punishment? You laid a protective hand on his forehead.

“You’re ok, Loki. I’m not gonna let him hurt you.” Looking back up at the man in your path, your eyes blazed with fury. “Get. Out. Of. My. Goddamn. Way. Barton.”

“Clint, move.” Natasha gripped his arm and tugged, reminding him that she was more than capable of moving him herself, as were you, if you hadn’t had an armful of traumatized norse god. 

A tense few moments passed, and if looks could kill, the whole tri-state area would have been decimated. Finally, Natasha drug him aside, and you hurried past, reaching the elevator just as it opened and Tony stepped out.

“Oh, hey, Rosie, back so soon? I figured you’d stay in Ass-gard as long as…” He trailed off as he noticed Loki. “Holy shit. What happened?” He looked genuinely concerned, an unfamiliar expression for Tony.

Loki was still mewling and struggling.

You shook your head weakly. How could you even try to respond to that? 

“C’mon.” Tony took your arm and helped you into the elevator, where you promptly twisted the ankle that still had a heel and tumbled to the ground. Loki screeched and crawled into the far corner, tears slipping out the corners of his eyes and drawing pale tracks through the filth and blood covering his face.

Tony pulled you to your feet and helped you shed your shoes. You were fairly certain that you wouldn’t ever wear high heels again. He rested gentle hands on your shoulders and gazed at you intently. 

“What happened?”

“I don’t- I can’t, Odin-” you faltered, and, to your great annoyance, burst into tears.

“Hey, now. You’re alright.” He pulled you into a hug, ignoring the blood smearing onto his clothes. “You got Rock of Ages out of there, and he’ll be alright too. Mmk?”

You nodded miserably into his shoulder. You really should be savoring the hug- Tony wasn’t one for physical affection under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, you didn’t have time. Straightening up, you wiped your nose on the back of your arm for lack of a better option.

“Call Dr. Cho.”

“She’s not here. She’s at a conference somewhere. Korea, I think.”

“Then call Strange.” 

“God only knows where he is. He might not even be in this universe.”

“Then call Bruce.” Your tone was getting tight.

“He’s not that kind of doctor.”

“Well, he’s gonna have to be that kind of doctor. How many damn doctorates do we have in this building?”

“Like… nine or ten, I think. We can try to keep him stable until Helen gets here.”

Just then, the elevator dinged, and you turned back to Loki. Kneeling next to him, you laid gentle finders on a part of his arm that didn’t look as bruised and bloody as the rest of him.

“Hey, Loki? Time to go. Can you stand up for me?” 

He looked up at you with tear-filled emerald eyes and shook his head.

Just then, you thought to look at his feet. What you saw nearly made you vomit again. They’d whipped the soles of his feet to a pulp, and several areas looked badly infected. Tony let out a low whistle.

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. C’mere, I’ll carry you” You pulled him closer and tried to lift him again, but you couldn’t budge him. Your arms had finally given out. “I- I can’t. Tony’s gonna have to carry you, ok?”

His eyes grew wide and his breathing labored, and he tossed his head back and forth wildly.

“Plea-please, no, be good-”

“Loki, he’s my friend. He’s not going to hurt you. Right, Tony?”

“Right. I’ll be real gentle.” Tony crouched down next to you. “You can hold her hand, too.”

A few seconds passed, and Loki gave a shaky nod.

Tony carefully scooped him up, avoiding the worst parts of his back. You held out your hand, and he took it. You barely kept from sucking in your breath at the sight of his frail, white hand. When you concentrated, you were certain that you could feel broken bones. Nevertheless, he held on tightly, and you were glad you could give him some comfort. 

You finally reached a room, and Tony laid him down on the bed. You sat down next to him, still holding his hand, and prayed that Bruce could do something for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, requests for things you want in future chapters, questions, critiques, and corrections are more than welcome. Comments make me so happy!  
> See you next time, darlings.


	6. Chapter 5: Cleaning Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki gets patched up (as well as Bruce can, at least), Tony is a sweetheart (again), and Loki learns that he might actually be safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the angst! And yet, not sorry because it's so delicious. Enjoy!  
> Please remember that I am my own beta, so all mistakes are most definitely my own.

Several hours later, Bruce straightened up and sighed.

"Damn." he peeled off his gloves and tossed them into a trash bin. "He's stable for now, but we'll have Helen look him over as soon as she gets back."

You nodded numbly, looking down at Loki and fighting back whatever inconvenient display of emotion was fighting its way to the surface.

"Thank you." You reciprocated the quick hug he gave you.

"No problem. Call me if you need anything, ok?"

"Yeah, I will." 

He squeezed your arm and left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

Sitting on the side of the bed, you rested your hand on top of his. It had taken hours for you and Bruce to clean him up and do what you could for his wounds. Heartbreaking was a mild term for the state he'd been in. Bruce wasn't qualified to run the scanning machines, and you were frightened of what the results might say. Frightened of what you hadn't been fast enough to save him from.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you knew that the twenty minutes you and Thor had spent walking through Asgard made no difference in the long run, but nevertheless, you couldn't help blaming yourself for it. You'd been out gallivanting around while Loki was being whipped and beaten.

You gazed down at him, so frail and white and covered in gauze and bandages. You’d had to give him a sedative, he was so frightened when he saw the needles and things Bruce had brought, and he ought to be out for a long time. Given all of his horrific injuries, it was a wonder he hadn’t fainted long before then. Gods, those injuries. He shouldn’t be alive, but he had Thor’s accelerated healing. It kept him alive just long enough to be tormented again. 

Bruce had said that with plenty of bedrest and proper care, he should be alright in a couple of weeks. Physically, that is. Mentally, who knew. He was strong, or he would have given in to whoever it was in the void after years of torture there. But even the strongest could break. 

You knew it would be an hour, maybe more, before he drifted awake again, but you were reluctant to leave him. He should have somebody to sit with him. Looking down at his hand again, you felt an urge to bend and give it a kiss. Before you did, though, you got a good look at your hand. 

Blood. 

Blood?

Dried blood, caked under your fingernails. Loki’s blood, smeared up your wrists and onto your forearms. Loki’s blood. 

You choked back a strangled cry and fled, racing to the bathroom. Frantically pumping far too much soap into your hands, you scrubbed mercilessly, tearing at your skin to the point of drawing blood of your own. You had to get it off. Off. Finally, your hands raw and red, you shut off the water and bent over the toilet, emptying your guts for the, what, fifth time that day? In the privacy of the stall, you started to cry. Slumping to the floor, you rested your head in your throbbing hands.

Some time later, how long you couldn’t be sure, you felt a calming hand on your back.

“Hey, hey, now.” Tony brushed the hair out of your face. “‘Sokay.”

“But I-”

“No. Don’t do that. You did good. He probably wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you.” He let you rest your head on his shoulder for a moment, then rubbed your shoulder and got up. ‘Cmon, stand up.” He pulled you to your feet and led you out of the bathroom. “Nat would be up here checking on you, and probably doing a better job than me, but she’s busy keeping Clint from murdering all of us, so you get me.” Rummaging through a cabinet, he dug out a pair of clean sweats and tossed them to you. “Here. Put those on and wash your face. I’ll go find something for you to eat.”

“I don’t think I can eat.”

“You’re gonna eat.” He gave you a gentle push. “Go clean yourself up. I’ll be back in a minute.”

You complied, ducking into a supply closet to change and tossing your ruined dress in the trash on your way out. You tied your tangled hair back, deciding that it could wait, and splashed some cold water on your face, removing the streaks of mascara and smeared color around your lips. You had to admit, you felt a little better. 

Suddenly remembering that you’d left Loki alone, you hurried through the hallways back to his room. You had no idea what kind of state he’d be in when he woke, and he certainly didn’t need to be by himself in an unfamiliar place. 

When you got there, Tony was waiting with a mug of your favorite tea and a couple of slices of toast.

“It’s not much, but it’ll get something in your stomach.”

“Thanks.” You gave him a grateful smile and took them, curling up in a chair. “Tony?”

“Hmm?”

“Why don’t you hate him?” You asked quietly, gazing at him quizzically over the rim of your mug. “Why did you help me bring him up here?”

“Uh, well, did you read my file?” He sat down next to you.

“Your file was a joke,” you snorted. “You had Jarvis go in and edit it, remember? Half of it was redacted, half of what was stuff I already knew, and the rest of it was dick jokes and complaints about Fury.”

“Ah, yes.” Smirking a little, he rubbed at his temple. “Have you ever wondered how I came up with the suit?”

“I assumed it was simply one of the many projects of a self-professed genius billionaire playboy philanthropist.” 

“Partially. I was… captured once, in Afghanistan. A bunch of radicals wanted me to build them a missile or some shit, and I built the suit to get out of there. But, before I came up with that and started to work on it under the guise of doing what they wanted, they weren’t exactly real nice.”

“Oh, Tony.”

“Anway, when you came in with him lookin’ like that, and you all bloody and cryin’... I dunno. I knew it was real.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, well. Anyway, you good now?”

“Yeah, I’m ok for now.”

“I’ve gotta go take care of some things, but have J call me if you need anything, mk?” He stood and patted your shoulder.

“I will.”

He nodded and left you there. You sat the toast aside, but continued sipping your tea. You felt steadier than you had at any point in the last few hours. 

Casting your mind back to Thor, you hoped that he was alright. Not that he couldn’t handle himself with the guards, but if he had incurred Odin’s wrath, and you were certain he had, you weren’t sure that he wouldn’t be hurt.

You laughed to yourself bitterly at the memory of your childhood stories, where Odin was always fair and kind and just, and the savior of all the realms. A loving husband to Frigga, and father to both his sons. A man who deserved the name ‘Allfather’. 

After you finished your tea, you set it aside and began to consider eating the toast, when you glanced back at Loki and noticed his eyelids fluttering. You jumped up and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Loki?” You refrained from touching him, not wanting to send him into a panic attack the moment he woke.

Groaning, he opened his eyes cautiously. They widened at the sight of you, and his breath quickened as his eyes darted all around the room. 

“Loki, Loki, you’re alright. Remember? It’s me.” You tilted your head into his line of sight. “We’re on Midgard.”

“Midgard?” His voice was creaky and ragged, and it pulled at your heart to think of the screams that had caused it.

“Yeah, Midgard.” You paused, unsure of what to say next, especially when tears started to fall. “Whoa, what’s wrong?”

“Please, no more,” he begged. “Please, just punish me quickly. No more of this, father.”

“What? No, it’s me. Odin’s back in Asgard, and he can’t hurt you anymore.” You sighed helplessly. 

“‘Haven’t I suffered enough? Please, no more illusions. I’ll be good, I’ll take it all, please,” he choked out. “I’ll be quiet, I won’t struggle.”

“No, no, no. All of this is real. You’re safe, you’re here with me. Odin can’t hurt you anymore.” Why was he acting this way? Why would he think Odin had something to do with you being here?

“I know it isn’t!” he wailed, and the heart monitor you’d attached began to flash warningly and wail along with him. “Please, don’t-” A broken sob cut off his plea.

“Loki, Loki, honey, I need you to breathe. Take some deep breaths, ok?” You slid off the bed and backed away from him. If he thought you were Odin, you should stay as far away from him as possible. 

“If you hate me so much, why won’t you just let me die? Please, kill me and have done with it.”

“No! No, Loki, no. This isn’t an illusion, I’m not going to hurt you. Odin’s not going to hurt you.” You paused. Odin, that sick bastard. He must've cast illusions of rescue and peace for Loki, then tortured him, so he could never feel safe. Suddenly, you had an idea. “Loki, If I’m an illusion, if I’m not really here, I’ll dissolve if you touch me, right?” You prayed that Odin’s magic worked the same way Loki’s did.

He nodded warily through his tears.

“Then reach out and touch me. Here.” You held out your arm to him.

“You’ll just recast it and punish me,” he replied miserably.

“But if I’m telling you the truth, you’ll know, and you won’t have to be frightened anymore,” you argued.

He lifted his hand and weakly swiped at your arm, as if he fully expected to touch nothing but air. When he heard a gentle slap of skin against skin, he gasped and let out a weak cry of joy. 

“You’re real!” He grabbed onto you tightly, in spite of the state of his hands.

Resuming your place on the edge of his bed, you smiled and nodded, feeling a bit of excess moisture in your own eyes.

“Yeah, I’m real.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos give me life. Any requests for things to be included in future chapters, critiques, corrections, whatever, make me so happy! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time, darlings.


	7. Chapter 6: Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki spills water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit delayed, but I hope it was worth the wait! Hopefully I can get the next one out more quickly.  
> As usual, I am my own beta, and all mistakes are entirely my own. If you do spot one and feel like telling me, I'd be very grateful :)

When he calmed slightly, he loosened his death grip on your arm and sank back into the pillows.

“How do you feel?” you asked softly. “I can give you some more pain meds if you need them.” There had been no record of medical treatment for Loki or Thor, so Bruce had simply relied on the proper dosages for a human of their size. You had a feeling that he would need a lot more than that.

“I don’t… I don’t hurt.” He spoke as if the absence of pain was an unfamiliar concept, and, after thinking for a moment, you realized that it probably was.

“You’re not uncomfortable at all?” you asked incredulously. Given the number and severity of his injuries, you doubted that he was really feeling no pain.

“I do not wish to take too much, you have already been very kind. I am much more comfortable than I have been in,” he faltered, “in a long time.”

“No, no, Loki. It’s not like that. We have plenty of medication.” You stepped aside and opened a cabinet, scanning it for the bottle you needed. Picking it off the shelf, you shook out a pill and held it out to him, along with a cup of water.

He eyed it suspiciously, but he reached to take it from you. His hand wasn’t up to the task, though, and the cup slipped through his fingers, spilling water across the bed.

“Oops!” You smiled gently and picked up the cup, setting it on the nightstand. When you turned back to him, he had shrunk back from the mess, emerald eyes wide. 

“I’m sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear. Please, I’m sorry!”

“Woah, woah, woah. It’s ok. I know you didn’t mean to. It’s just a little water.” You moved into his line of sight and gazed at him earnestly. 

“Sorry, please, sorry!” Tears pooled in his eyes, threatening to spill over. His breathing quickened, the heart monitor screamed, and his face drained of color.

“Honey, I’m not angry. I promise you, I’m not upset. You didn’t hurt anything, ok?” You held out your hand to him, but he flinched back, pressing himself further into the pillows. How were you supposed to handle this? 

“Loki, honey, I’m not angry. I won’t ever be angry with you, ok? You spilled a little bit of water because your hand is hurt. It wasn’t your fault, and I’m not upset. I’m not going to,” you cleared your throat, hating Odin for everything he’d ever done to Loki, “I’m not going to punish you, even if I was angry. I will never hurt you, I promise. I care about you.”

“Why?” he choked out bitterly. “I don’t understand this. Why would you care? I don’t-” a sob broke him off. 

You could have sworn you felt your heart tear. 

“I care because you need someone to. I care because you don’t deserve this. I care because none of this is your fault.”

“But it is! Don’t you know? Didn’t Odin tell you all-” This time you cut him off.

“ _ No _ . Odin’s a sadistic bastard, and I’d kill him in a heartbeat if I could. Nothing he did to you was fair, or just, or right. Do you understand me?” you demanded. “He lied to you. Don’t ever think he was right, ok? I know what really happened.” 

“B-but,” he protested weakly.

“No buts. No buts, honey.” You sat there in silence for a few moments, and slowly but surely, his sobs petered out. 

Reaching over to a table by his bed, you grabbed a couple of tissues and leaned toward him.

“Here.” You gently swiped at his tears and smoothed his matted hair away from his face. Even though you knew it might not be a good idea, you bent over him and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. “Better?” 

“Thank you,” he whispered. 

“Anytime. Now, let’s see about those meds.” Refilling the cup, you propped him up and held it for him. A minute later, he sighed in relief as it filtered through his system.

“Oh,” he groaned, leaning into your hand that still supported his head. 

“Is there anything you want?” you asked. “I’m happy to get you anything you need.” You laid his head back down. 

“This is more than I could ask for.”

“Alright. I’m gonna go get you a new blanket. I’ll be right back.” You hurried down the hall and grabbed a dry blanket from a linen closet, half-running back to him. You hadn’t expected to be so unwilling to be away from him. “Here, this ought to be better.” You pulled off the wet one, and he grimaced and shut his eyes at the sight of his bruised and broken body. You made soothing noises, tucking the new blanket securely in place.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can get for you?”

“Well, I was wondering if, that is to say, if it isn’t too much trouble, if perhaps you could… if you would stay?” he asked nervously.

“Of course.” You sat down on the edge of the bed and offered him your hand. 

He took it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate comments of any kind! Miss Cookie, I hope you enjoyed your forehead kiss! It is the first of many. I'm currently debating whether or not to skip a bit of time to get Loki out of bed, so if you have an opinion on that, I'm more than happy to hear it!  
> See you next time, darlings!


	8. Chapter 7: Checkup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki realizes where he is, Bruce is not that kind of doctor (but he does try), and you remind Loki that he's really safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're over 10,000 words! This is so exciting. I hope you enjoy this installment!  
> I am my own beta, so if you see a problem, please let me know :)

“Did you say we were on Midgard?” Loki asked.

“Mhmm.” You set aside the Starkpad you were using to check Helen’s location. She was still several hours out. “I hope that’s alright.”

“I was just wondering where on Midgard. I remember, vaguely, in the elevator, a man that looked like that Stark, and before that, someone like Barton yelling. But perhaps that was a dream.” He shifted tensely. “I have many dreams,” he added to himself. 

“We’re at the Avengers Tower,” you answered, then quickly continued as his brow furrowed, “but it’s alright. Tony said it was ok, he understands what happened.”

“But Barton?” He unconsciously tried to scratch at one of his palms in a nervous gesture, but they were bandaged tightly, and he laid them down at his sides in frustration.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s not gonna get near you,” you comforted.

“But if he doesn’t want me here, and you cannot blame him for that, I can’t stay,” he objected guiltily. “He has no obligation to forgive me for what I did.”

“Clint’s gonna have to get over himself. Natasha’s gonna keep him out of here, and if he gets past her, I’ll keep him away from you. You need to stay.” You spoke kindly, but seriously, hoping he would understand.

“Are you certain?”

“Extremely certain.”

“I do not wish to cause any trouble.”

“You’re not trouble. I know it might be hard for you to believe me, but I promise it's true." You took a deep breath and sighed in relief when he nodded and darned to accept what you told him. 

He'd already had three or four panic attacks since he'd woken up that day, and that was with you walking on eggshells, constantly reassuring and grounding him. It pained you to think of what it must've been like for him before you and This got him out, with the guards torturing him, and Odin antagonizing and preying on his every fear and hope.

The thought of Loki's ill treatment reminded you that you ought to have Bruce come and look at him, now that he was awake. It also reminded you that they might not go well.

"Loki?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be alright with you if Bruce came in for a minute to see how you're doing?" The blank and slightly confused look on his face clearly showed you that he had no idea who you were talking about. "Bruce was the one who helped me take care of all your injuries," you clarified."I think he'd like to come and see you for just a couple of minutes now that you're awake, but only if that's ok with you."

“Who is this Bruce? I remember Stark, the man of iron; the widow, friend of Barton; the captain, son of Rodgers; the hulk, and Barton. And, of course, my brother. But I do not recall this Bruce.” He looked at you quizzically.

“He’s the other side of the hulk,” you admitted reluctantly, sighing a little. You hadn’t wanted to tell him that. Surely finding out that the same man who broke the majority of the bones in his body was the one who put him back together and wanted to see him had to be disconcerting, and possibly frightening.

“He’s a very nice, gentle man, and he won’t come if you’d rather he didn’t.”

“I don’t mind.” His words contrasted with his manner. He had gone back to trying to pick at his opposite palm. 

“Are you sure?” You got the feeling he was agreeing just because you asked him to, but he nodded firmly. “I’ll go call him to come down. He won’t stay very long, don’t worry.” You stepped outside and clicked the door shut behind yourself. You hadn’t been using Jarvis, since Loki would probably react poorly to a disembodied voice.

“J, can you have Bruce come down? Tell him that Loki’s awake.” You spoke low, hoping the AI would get the hint. Fortunately, he did.

“Of course, Miss Rosie.”

You rolled your eyes at Tony’s nickname. That was a recent addition to Jarvis’ programming. You went back in.

“He’ll be here soon.” You smiled reassuringly and sat back down. 

A minute or so later, you heard a soft tap at the door.

“Come in,” you called.

The door opened, and Bruce entered.

“Hello, Loki. I’m glad to see you awake,” Bruce greeted quietly. You were grateful that he knew how to act around someone in Loki’s condition. 

“As I am glad to be awake.”

Bruce smiled and slowly came closer to the bed, keeping a respectful distance between himself and Loki.

“I won’t stay long, but I would like to check on a few things and make sure you’re as well as you can be. Is that alright?”

Loki nodded tensely. 

“Would you like me to stay?” You assumed that he would want you to, but he could be erratic, and you wanted to keep him comfortable.

“Yes, if you don't mind.” 

“Of course.” You stood and went over to the side of his bed, serendipitously placing your hand within easy grabbing distance, in case he wanted it. 

“I’ll just take a look at your feet.” Bruce folded back the sheets at the foot of the bed and peeled back the bandages on one of Loki’s thin, abused feet. 

Loki grimaced at the sensation and turned his face away from Bruce, and toward you. You nodded encouragingly and gestured to your hand, which he took gratefully.

“What on earth?” Bruce muttered, inspecting the wounds on the soles of Loki’s feet. “These aren’t fully healed, but they’re ten times better than they were a few hours ago.” He waved you over. “Come take a look at this.”

Loki’s grip tightened, and he gave an infinitesimal, pleading shake of his head.

“I think I’m good. I’ve seen enough for today.” You gave Loki a reassuring look and leaned closer to him.

“Hmm.” Bruce nodded absentmindedly. “But if these are healing so quickly, why…” he trailed off, thinking. Suddenly, he paled, and you thought you saw a tinge of green at the base of his jaw. “I’m so sorry, Loki.”

Loki shrugged uncomfortably. It took you a moment to catch onto Bruce’s train of thought. If Loki healed so quickly, they had to be doing all of this to him nearly every day for him to be in this horrible condition. You felt yourself go a little green, at that. 

“At this rate, you should be well enough to walk around a bit here in three or four days. I won’t poke and prod you too much, but I would like to give you an antibiotic.” Bruce opened a cabinet and pulled out a syringe. “It’s just a simple injection, and it shouldn’t-”

“ _ No _ !” Loki cried, reaching for you. “Please, no, I can’t, not again, no more, please,” he whimpered. Shrinking in on himself and shaking like a leaf, he buried his face in your side and moaned.

“‘Sokay, ‘sokay, honey.” You draped an arm around his trembling shoulders and pulled him closer, gesturing at Bruce, who quickly tossed the syringe back in the cabinet. “He won’t do anything you don’t want him to do. No needles, ok? It’s gone now, you’re ok. There, now, honey. You’re safe. Nobody’s gonna hurt you.” 

“I’ll go now. I’m sorry, Loki. I should have asked.” Bruce slipped out, leaving the two of you alone.

“‘M sorry,” Loki whispered, still holding tight to you.

“You’ve got nothin’ to be sorry for, sweetheart. Here, scooch over a little.” You nudged him over a bit and sat down next to him on the bed, arranging yourself so that he was completely enveloped by your arms. “You’re safe, Loki. I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you,” you breathed into his hair.

You stayed that way for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, suggestions, corrections, and requests are always welcome. I can hardly believe how many people are reading and enjoying my work! Thank you all so much for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter, darlings.


	9. Chapter 8: Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nat makes you take care of yourself, and you can't sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a beta now!!! Thank you so much to the lovely Miss Cookie for her hard work on this chapter.  
> I hope y'all enjoy!

“Please apologize to Bruce for me,” Loki requested, his words muffled by your shirt.

"Honey, you have nothing to apologize for." It was nearly an hour after Bruce had left, and he was still curled up in your arms. You ran a soothing hand over his hair, and made a mental note to help him wash and brush it at the earliest opportunity. Thor had told you many times about how fastidious his brother tended to be when it came to his appearance, and you knew it had to be bugging him. 

"I shouldn't have acted so immaturely. I should be able to take a simple injection."

“There's nothing immature about being scared, and you have plenty of good reasons to be. Don't worry about it, ok?" You kept petting his head, trying to keep him relaxed and comfortable. It felt nice to have him close, and even nicer to be able to comfort him. You were about to say something else, when Jarvis' voice came over the speakers.

"Miss Rosie, Agent Romanoff is requesting to see you as soon as possible, while Agent Barton is distracted." 

You felt Loki bristle under your fingertips.

"What is that?"

“It’s alright,” you comforted. “It’s just a robot that helps us sometimes. Nothing to worry about.” Somehow, you successfully averted a panic attack. “But if Nat needs something bad enough to disturb us, I should go see. I won’t be gone long.” You smiled at him, pulling yourself off the bed.

As you stepped into the hall and closed the door, you nearly ran into Nat.

“Couldn’t you have just knocked?” You quickly regretted how irritated you sounded, but you were too tired and on-edge to care. 

“I figured having Jarvis ask would disturb him less than an entirely new and possibly hostile person at his door.” She took your arm firmly and led you over to a bench. “Clint’s distracted for now.”

“Yeah, Jarvis said.” You turned to her. “Thank you, really. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there.”

“Murder Clint, by the look in your eyes. But that would have been messy.” Pulling you closer, she rested your head on her shoulder, and you melted at the contact. “I didn’t come down here for thanks, though. You looked like shit when you came in, and you do look better now, but I want you to go get a shower and eat something. Tony said he brought you stuff, but that was four or five hours ago.”

Your brow furrowed at her casual mention of the time.

“How long have I been back?”

“Well, you left around noon, and you showed back up around one-thirty, maybe two. And at the moment, it’s, uh, hey Jarvis, what’s the time?”

“It is currently 11:28 pm.”

“Oh,” you said flatly. I guess I should get some sleep.”

“Yeah, I guess you should.” She elbowed you lightly, and you let out a tired laugh. You had a history of avoiding sleep. 

“Before I do, though, what about the others? What do they think?”

“I think they’re ok. Between Jarvis showing us all the stuff you compiled, and Bruce looking like he was either gonna faint or go green when he came back up, I’d say they’re fine with him being here. Except for Cint.”

“Right. Well, maybe you guys can keep him away from us. You can feel free to inform him that I’m happy to kill him if he comes anywhere near Loki.”

“Will do, hotshot. Now, go tell him good night, and go take a shower and put yourself in bed. You can show him how to use Jarvis to call if he needs anything.”

Sighing, you pulled yourself to your feet and nodded. 

“Ok. Thank you, Nat.” She stood up and wrapped you in a hug. Unlike Tony, she gave hugs fairly often, but that didn’t mean they were any less wonderful. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Have a good night. And  _ actually  _ sleep, please.”

“Yes ma’am.”

She rolled her eyes and waved as she got back in the elevator.

Turning back to Loki’s room, you tapped on the door to keep from surprising him, and went in. 

“Is something wrong?” He was picking at his palm again. The unspoken question of  _ Do I have to leave? _ was heavy in the air.

“No, everything’s alright. Nat just wanted to check on me. It is getting pretty late, though, and I ought to go get some sleep.” You tried to ignore the way his face fell at your words. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning. Can I get you anything before I go?”

“No, thank you. Sleep well.” He had his face under control in a split second.

“Ok, well, when you get ready to sleep, just flick this switch here on the lamp, and it’ll turn off. If you need anything in the night, all you have to do is say it out loud, and the robot will tell me.” 

He nodded quickly.

“Well, goodnight.” You gave a half-wave of your hand and left. You didn’t quite understand why you got so awkward around him when he wasn’t in the midst of a panic attack. When he was frightened, you had no problem wrapping him in a hug, calling him honey, or giving him a kiss, but when he was close to stable, you didn’t quite know how to act. Perhaps it was the remnants of your crush on him from the photographs, but you were trying to dispose of that as quickly as possible. Your emotions always seemed to get in the way.

You continued to think as you got in the elevator and headed to your room. Could you really help him heal? This wasn’t really your forte, but you did care about him, and he seemed to feel comfortable around you, and over the past few hours, you’d managed to convince him that his surroundings were real, and that the majority of people weren’t out to hurt him.

You wandered into your bathroom and stared forlornly at the shower. You were tired, exhausted, more like, and you wanted to just collapse on your bed. Then again, after the day’s activities, you’d acquired a decent layer of filth, and you were pretty sure you didn’t smell particularly sweet. After a silent debate, you elected to at least rinse off, and deal with your hair the next day. Or maybe the day after that. 

Your mind continued to whirr as you took your shower and plopped onto your bed. Was Loki alright? Would he be alright spending the night alone in an unfamiliar place? What if he woke up and didn’t know where he was? What if Clint escaped Nat’s watch and somehow got in there? What if?

Tossing and turning, you did an excellent job of tangling up your sheets, and a less than excellent job of sleeping. You’d close your eyes and suddenly they’d pop open. What if? Was he alright? You hadn’t anticipated being so unwilling to be away from him. Was this that stupid crush again? Surely not. You were just concerned, and you had good reason to be. You’d lost count of how many times he’d had an attack that day. Could he be having one right now? He could have forgotten how to call, or he could be too stubborn, or maybe he had no idea where he was!

“Enough!” You dragged yourself out of the mess you’d made of your bed. Grabbing a pillow and a blanket, you padded down the hall in your pajamas, getting in the elevator and heading back to the infirmary. When you got there, you softly knocked, and noticed a sliver of light bleeding out from under the door.

“Loki?” You pushed open the door.

He lay there just as you’d left him, studying the opposite wall and looking very tired. He jerked a little at the sound of your voice, then almost smiled in relief. 

“Are you alright? Why are you still awake?”

“I don’t… I don’t usually sleep.” He glanced away. “I would be punished for sleeping,” he elaborated uncomfortably. 

“Well, um, you can sleep here.”

He nodded, running his tongue over his lips. That was another nervous gesture you’d noticed, and from your memory of Norse mythology, you had an idea of why: if you remembered correctly, sewing his son’s lips shut had been a favorite punishment of the Allfather’s on several occasions. A small wave of nausea washed over you, and you vowed never to ask him about it.

“Why are you back? It can’t be morning already.”

“It isn’t,” you admitted. “I didn’t want to leave you alone.” You came a little farther into the room and gestured to your pillow. “Do you mind if I stay?”

“No, of course not,” he replied quickly.

“Thanks.” You dumped your bedding on the floor and reached over to turn off the light. “It’s ok to sleep. You need to.”

“I’ll try.”

You smiled at him through the dark, and curled up on the floor. Somehow, you found that it was more comfortable than the expensive bed in your room.

“Good night, Loki.”

“Good night.”

And whether because of your exhausting day, or because the God of Mischief was safe and comfortable close by you, you slept better that night than you had in a long, long time. Or, at least, you did for a while.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, comments, critiques, corrections, and requests are more than welcome.  
> See you in the next chapter, darlings!


	10. Chapter 9: Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which your slumber is disturbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, posting every day! I hope you enjoy this installment.   
> Once again, many thanks to the lovely Miss Cookie for her hard work.

_ "Please, father, no more!" Loki drew in on himself, trying to protect his head from the blows raining down on all sides. _

_ "I am not your father, boy, and I never was. Did you really think you were ever Thor's equal? Did you really think we cared? You are nothing but a stolen relic." Odin's words echoed those Loki had screamed at him that fateful day in the vault so many years before, and whether it was intentional, or simply a coincidence, Loki wasn't sure; he wasn't sure of much these days. _

_ A boot to his already-broken ribs elicited an exhausted moan, and reminded him that there was, in fact, something he could be certain of: there would always be pain, and there would never be safety. That, Odin had taken great pleasure in reminding him of each and every day. There would never be an end to his punishment. _

_ Odin had let the latest illusion go on for longer than ever this time, but the girl called the Dark Rose was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. It was hard to believe that such kindness, such beauty, could exist in a mind as cruel as Odin's. _

_ Giving up, as he always did after some time, Loki went limp on the floor, too tired to hold back his cries any longer. He heard himself shriek as he felt a bone crack, the jagged end rending through flesh.' _ You will long for something as sweet as pain. _ ' the Titan's voice rang through his brain, and suddenly, the Chitauri were the ones beating him, instead of the palace guards, and Thanos stood over him and- Odin's voice jerked him back to reality.  _

_ “You have disobeyed me twice in one day alone. Taking help you didn’t deserve, and sleeping. I suppose you know what that means?” _

_ Loki felt the blood drain from his face, the room swirled, lights and colors blurred, the stone floor swayed beneath him. Waves of heat, followed by an icy chill rolled over him, and his breath came in quick, strangled gasps.  _

_ “Please, I can be good, don’t, anything but that, father, please-” _

_ “Enough! I will not tolerate your sniveling any longer. Guard, fetch me the needle.” _

_ Not this, anything but this, Norns, he couldn’t take this again! The last time, Odin had only cut the cord on his lips when Loki was on the brink of death from thirst and hunger. He couldn’t take it again. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that he could. And that was the real torture.  _

_ Odin would never let him die, just like Thanos before, so that Loki would spend his days in agonizing pain. No hope, no relief, not even the respite of death. Only misery, and the suffocating knowledge that it was completely and absolutely inescapable, and that he deserved every minute of it. _

_ The guard was back in a moment with the long, thick needle, glinting in the torchlight, and Odin threaded it with the familiar, despised golden cord. Advancing toward Loki, he motioned the guards to hold him down. _

_ Loki screamed while he still could. _

You woke to screams ringing through your ears. Jumping to your feet, you staggered over to the lamp and clumsily flicked it on.Your eyes rebelled against the sudden light, and you blinked, fighting the bleariness. You whirled around to Loki.

You had thought that he'd woken himself up, and continued to scream because of the unfamiliar surroundings, but, no, he was still deeply within the dream, his eyes tightly shut. Leaning over him, you rested your hands lightly on his thin shoulders and watched as his face contorted in pain. His brain must've interpreted your touch as more harm.

"Loki! Loki, wake up." You spoke loud and firm, but gently enough that you hoped he wouldn't think you were angry. “C’mon, honey, wake up now. Loki!” His only response was continued shrieking, and he began to thrash against your grip. That damn heart monitor was screeching again, and you jerked it off his finger. Your ears were starting to hurt. He wouldn’t stop screaming. You shook him, you yelled his name, you chafed his wrists, but he kept screaming. 

The sound was heart-rending, and painfully reminiscent of the sounds you’d heard while running to find him in the North Wing. Unfortunately, this was not a stone dungeon hundreds of feet below the surface. It was Stark Tower, and if he kept it up, he would wake everyone, in spite of Tony’s thick walls. 

You weren’t wrong. A minute later, you heard knocking, and when you opened the door, you were greeted by two very sleepy-looking pajama’d Avengers. Steve leaned against the doorframe, and Bruce was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

“Jarvis called me. What on earth’s wrong?” Bruce groaned, coming in as you stepped aside. 

“I  _ heard _ him,” Steve added loudly, to be heard over Loki. You nodded. His enhanced hearing could be both a blessing and a curse. 

“He won’t wake up!” you explained, half yelling. 

To your great disappointment, Bruce threw up his hands after a halfhearted attempt at jostling him into consciousness. 

“I’m not that kind of doctor! I don’t know!” 

“What am I supposed to do?” You felt tears gathering in your eyes. “I can’t leave him like this! Look at him!” 

During a rare split second of silence, while Loki paused for breath, Steve stepped forward. 

“Let me try.” He took your arm and guided you over to the bed. “I used to do this with Bucky!” He had to yell now, for the room was ringing again. “Here, sit down next to him!” You did as he said, and cocked your head in confusion when Steve carefully lifted Loki’s shoulders, avoiding the bandages, and laid him in your arms. “Hold on to him tight without hurting him!” Steve instructed. You wrapped him in your arms, but he continued to scream.

“Now what?”

“Bend down in his ear and tell him he’s safe, and he needs to come back, because people here care about him! Stuff like that!”

“I tried that!” you yelled back, exasperated. 

“Try it again!”

So you held tight to him, rocking him back and forth gently as he screamed, and half-yelled in his ear.

“Loki, you’re safe! Come back to me, please honey! C’mon, sweetheart, you gotta wake up!” You looked up at Steve, who gestured at you encouragingly. “We care about you, you can’t stay like this! Loki! I care about you, you're not alone anymore!” You continued, your throat growing raw at yelling over him, and you were decidedly certain that those tears had spilled over and were running down your face. 

“Loki! Wake up! You’re safe!” Close to giving up, you rested your chin on his head, too tired to yell anymore. “Come back to me, sweetheart. I’m here waiting. If it means anything to you, I care,” you whispered into his hair. “I care about you, Loki. You’re not alone. You don’t have to fight alone anymore.” 

The screaming stopped. Your ears continued to ring in the sudden silence. His eyes popped open, looking up at you with panic, terror, pain, and so many other emotions you wished you could wipe away with the touch of your hand. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Steve grab Bruce’s arm, and they slipped out the door. 

“Loki, honey, can you hear me?” You blinked hard to clear your blurry vision. 

Your words seemed to flick a switch, for he tensed, then tried to scramble out of your arms. 

“Hey, hey, now. You’re alright. Can you say something for me?” You gazed at him earnestly.

Somehow, this was the wrong question. His eyes filled with tears, and he glared at you as if you had been the one hurting him in the dream. He didn’t say a word or make a move to open his mouth. 

“You’re safe now, it was just a dream. Remember me? I’m not gonna hurt you. You can say anything you like, but please, honey, say something.”

He continued to look at you as if you were the cause of all suffering in the world, and he grabbed your wrist tightly, pressing your hand against his lips. 

“I don’t understand, sweetheart.” You felt faint scarring around his mouth, but nothing that should prevent him from speaking. “You know where you are, right?”

His breathing quickened when he realized that he touched you, realizing that you were real again, you supposed, and he ran his own finger over his lips. Upon feeling nothing but chapped skin, he opened his mouth with a hoarse gasp.

“Take it slow, honey. You’re safe now. I’m sorry you had a nightmare. Can you say something to me, please?”

“Am I… am I really here?”

“Sure you are, sweetheart, sure you are. Here, take my hand.” You slipped it into his grip. “See? Skin and blood and bone.”

He gave a shaky nod.

“S-sorry I woke you,” he choked out, still holding your hand.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about, Loki. You can’t help having nightmares. I know, I have them too. They’re nothing to be ashamed of. I’m just glad you’re back here with me now.” You were suddenly very grateful that you’d decided to come back to the infirmary earlier that evening. 

He was still breathing much too quickly for your liking, and you searched your brain for a way to calm him down, other than simply telling him to breathe. 

“Ok, Loki, I’m gonna ask you a couple of questions, about stuff you can feel. I know it sounds weird, but I think it’ll make you feel better.”

He nodded again.

“So, can you tell me five things you can see?” You shifted your arms around him so that his head rested in a more comfortable position. 

“I, um, you, and the bed, and the door, and the chair,” he listed.

“Good. One more?”

“Um, the cabinet?”

“Good.” You were relieved to see that his breathing had evened out somewhat. “Ok, so, what are four things you can touch?”

“You, the sheets, and the bandages, and, um, your pajamas.”

“Good. Now, three things you can hear?”

“Your voice, and the air ventilation, and… your breathing?” He relaxed another fraction, and sighed lightly.

“Good job. Two things you can smell?”

“Um, alcohol and… vanilla?”

“Good.” You momentarily wondered where he was getting vanilla, but you remembered that your soap was currently vanilla scented. “Alright, one more. One thing you can taste?”

He flicked his tongue over his lips.

“Blood,” he whispered.

“Ok, honey, good job. How do you feel?”

“I’m not certain.” He groaned softly, leaning into the hand you rested on his cheek. “I want to sleep, but I get no rest when I do.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ll stay here with you, if you want,” you offered, running your thumb along his sharp cheekbones. 

“Please?”

“Sure.” You reached over and flicked off the light, settling yourself in around him. “Try to sleep, ok? I’ll watch out, and if you have another dream, I’ll wake you before it gets bad.”

“Alright,” he agreed softly, melting into your touch.

Perhaps the Norns took pity on his beleaguered soul for once. No matter the reason, he spent the rest of the night undisturbed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, critiques, requests, corrections, and anything else you can come up with are always welcome.  
> The next chapter will probably be complete tooth-rotting fluff, so make sure to get your toothbrush ready!


End file.
